A Newmarket trainer who helped to guide the winner of the 1,000 Guineas to success on Victory in Europe Day in 1945 celebrated his 90th birthday this week with lots of special guests.

Gerry Blum, who lives in Moulton, threw a party for more than 100 guests, including trainer Jack Berry MBE and ex-jockey George Duffield MBE.

Gerry started out as an apprentice in Newmarket in 1938.

He then went on to train horses for 28 years in the town and has many a quirky tale to tell, including meeting the Queen and looking after a particularly noteworthy winner.

He said: “I looked after the filly called Sunstream who won the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 8, 1945.

“That was VE Day, Victory in Europe Day. Everyone in Newmarket and thousands of soldiers came racing. They all put bets on and there were so many had backed Sunstream that the bookies ran out of money to pay out in winnings and they had to take people’s names and addresses to send the winnings later.”

Gerry, who has two sons, worked at Lord Derby’s Stanley House Stables during the war, looking after both Sunstream, and Herringbone, who had won the 1,000 Guineas and St Leger in 1943.

He also met the Queen in 2011 when she came to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Newmarket Day Centre.

He added: “She said she would come provided she could talk to someone about racing. “I must have spoken to her for about 10 minutes.”

His son Ed said: “In 1946 he helped catch the King’s horse, Hypericum, which got loose before a race at Newmarket. Because it was the King’s filly the race was delayed for 30 minutes.

“Gerry helped catch the horse in the car park. He recounted the story to the Queen when he was introduced to her at Newmarket Day Centre. “The Queen remembered the event well as she was also at the races that day with her father.”

Thank you letters have been flooding in after the party last Sunday, where guests, some of which Gerry hadn’t seen for 50 years, enjoyed a buffet lunch.

Ed added: “My father is probably one of the oldest serving racing people in Newmarket now I imagine.

“He worked for trainers such as Walter Earl and Harry Wragg, before going on to train for 28 years in Newmarket.”

Gerry’s birthday celebration also raised £350 for the Newmarket Day Centre.